He didn't wake up again then, anyway he didn't open his eyes, and as soon as his mother came home from her work Westy and I went home. I wasn't thinking anything about the house-boat now. I was only thinking about Skinny and I had my mind all made up, too. I didn't say anything to Westy, but on the way home I decided what I was going to do.

It was the scout trail that took me to that tenement house and if you follow a scout trail you're safe. That scout trail knew what it was doing all right. There wasn't any trail leading to the house-boat.

Stick to your trail. That's the rule. And you can bet your life I was going to stick to that trail now. If that trail was going to lead to the cemetery, all right--that's what I said. But I had picked up Skinny McCord's trail and I made up my little old mind that I was going to hang on to it and follow it like a blood-hound.

That night we were going to have a special troop meeting to decide about chipping in money for our cruise up to camp, because we didn't have much left on account of spending so much for paint and lumber and different things.

I knew how the fellows and Mr. Ellsworth would be feeling about me not coming back and Westy not showing up, and I knew how the Silver Foxes would feel, especially. But anyway, I had my mind all made up. After supper my sister Ruth played a game of tennis with Westy. While they were playing I went up to my room and got out the Scout Handbook. Then I read the scout laws over, but anyway I knew them. I had read them all and I made two crosses with a pencil, one alongside of one law and one alongside another. Then I put the Handbook in my pocket and went downstairs.

It was time to go to the meeting now and so we started off.

"You seem awful funny," Westy said; "what's the matter?"

"It's patrol business," I said; "it's about--"

"Is it about me ?" he asked me.

"It's about my patrol," I said; "it's about the Silver Foxes. Did you ever hear that a Silver Fox never makes a mistake about a trail?"

"No," he said, kind of puzzled.

"You want to read up natural history," I said to him. "A silver fox knows the tracks of all the different kinds of animals and if he could talk he could tell you about them."

"Too bad he can't talk," Westy said, sort of jollying me.

"I can talk," I said. Then after a minute I laid, "It's about the Elk patrol, too."

He didn't say any more and pretty soon we got to the troop-room--that's in the Public Library. We were a little late, but I wanted it that way, so we wouldn't have any talk with anyone before the meeting started.

Everyone said "h.e.l.lo" to us, but they were the coldest "h.e.l.loes" you ever saw. "If I'd known it was going to be as cold as this. I'd have worn my sweater," I told Westy. Even my own patrol didn't say anything to us, and they all looked kind of glum. I heard Will Dawson say something about our patrol being "in bad," but I didn't pay any attention--I should worry.

Now the way we sit at the beginning of troop meetings is in three rows and each patrol is one row. The patrol leader always sits at the right hand end of the row and Mr. Ellsworth sits in front. If there are any local councilmen they sit in front with him. But it doesn't look much like that after things get started, I can tell you that, That night Mr.

Bennett was there, too. He's on the Local Council.

When Westy and I went up to our row to sit down, n.o.body said anything to us at all, not even the fellows in our own patrol. Ralph Warner was sitting in my seat at the end, and he said, kind of cold like, "Do you want to sit down here?"

"Of course I want to sit down there," I told him; "I'm the leader of this patrol. Where should I sit?" So he moved over kind of glum and I sat down in my chair at the end, right beside the Silver Fox emblem that stands in a rack on the floor. Maybe they had an idea of electing a new patrol leader, hey? I should Worry.

As soon as we were all ready Mr. Ellsworth. called the roll and Westy and I were marked late. Then Mr. Ellsworth read a couple of notices and said the special meeting was called for several purposes. He said one was to draft a letter of grat.i.tude to Mr. Donnelle for loaning us the boat, and one was to decide (he always says determine, but decide is easier) how much each scout could chip in for the expenses of our cruise up the Hudson to Catskill Landing.

Then he looked very serious and said one of the patrols had all signed a pet.i.tion (all except two absentees, he said) asking him to order an election in that patrol for a new patrol leader.

"I have been asked," that's just what he said.

"I have been asked to administer a troop reprimand to a member of the patrol of the Silver Foxes for absenting himself throughout the day from urgent troop duties with no better excuse than a desire to play baseball.

This I shall have to do. The new election is asked for in order that a patrol leader may be found who will not leave his patrol and his duties on a mere pretext and not return. I authorize this election. Meanwhile Wesleigh Martin will please stand up."

I could see that Westy's face was kind of white and his lips were tight together and I knew be didn't intend to say anything.

CHAPTER XVIII

SCOUT LAW NUMBER THREE

Now, I can tell you just exactly what Mr. Ellsworth said, because I remembered it and I wrote it down right afterwards. First I was afraid Westy would say something and I didn't want him to, because--well, you'll see. So now I'll copy what Mr. Ellsworth said. Oh, jiminy, you could hear a pin drop, everyone was so quiet. He said, "Wesleigh (that's Westy, you know), I have been asked by your own patrol to give you this public reproof, and I speak for the whole troop as well, when I remind you that your action today in absenting yourself and thereby avoiding your share of the work we had undertaken to do, was unscoutlike and unworthy of you, and unworthy of the patrol whose fine traditions you were bound to guard and support. You knew that to be ent.i.tled to your share of the pleasure of this purposed cruise, you would have to do your share of the work. You knew that to--day was set apart for concerted effort by the whole troop to make this boat ready for starting next Sat.u.r.day. You knew that at the urgent request of some of you boys I arranged to spend the day helping you. You were one of the boys who asked me to do this. You remember?"

"We meet here to-night after a hard day's work, pleasant as work always is, but hard nevertheless. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you will occupy a bunk which your companions have made ready for you, and that you did not yourself hammer so much as a single nail.

Arthur Ivan Arlen and Wigley Weigand, both weary and one lame, after a frightful experience, were here and helped to make the boat safe and comfortable for you. They were loyal to the Raven Patrol. I hope you may be moved to appreciate the interest and spirit which they displayed while you were playing ball.

"When you have an opportunity, Wesleigh, I would like to have you read the scout laws again and bear in mind particularly your obligation of loyalty to your scoutmaster, which of course, means to your scout duties--your troop and your patrol. I kept my word with you to--day and you did not keep your word with me. The house-boat is ready for our cruise, and I hope that you, along with all the members of the troop will find the trip enjoyable. That is all, Wesleigh, unless you have something to say."

Oh, gee, you should have heard the silence--I don't mean heard it--but there wasn't a sound. Then Westy said, "I haven't got anything to say."

And then he sat down.

I knew that it was time then for me to do what I wanted to do, but I couldn't get up because I felt all shaky. I was holding to the pole of the Silver Fox emblem that was right beside me, and, oh cracky, I felt funny. All of a sudden I heard Mr. Ellsworth say that he wouldn't say anything to Roy Blakeley because the patrol was going to have an election and then I heard Will Dawson, of my patrol, say under his breath, sort of, that there'd be only one fellow to vote for me, and I knew he meant Westy Martin. Gee, I'm glad I heard him say that because it gave me a kind of an idea what to say and it made me mad, and when you're mad you have courage--you know what I mean, you can get up and talk. Jiminy, I knew I couldn't make a speech like Mr. Ellsworth with all long words, and besides I had to be careful that it didn't seem as if I was just answering him back.

So then I grabbed tight hold of the emblem pole because, I don't know, it seemed to give me courage kind of, and it was my emblem and my patrol for a few minutes yet, anyway. But oh, didn't my hand tremble. Anyway I could see that Mr. Bennett was sort of listening and I wasn't so much scared after I got up.

This is what I said, only I didn't say it as well as it sounds here on account of being nervous, but I should worry as long as I knew I was right, hey? "I heard a fellow in my patrol say just now" that's the way I began, "that there is only one Silver Fox would vote for me because I went away and didn't come back. I know he meant Westy and he's the one fellow I'd want to vote for me, anyway, you can bet. I don't care what happens, I don't, if Westy will only vote for me. Because he's one real scout and none of the rest of you know anything about scouting alongside of him--You don't. And anyway I don't care so much if I'm not leader any more, if I could only be sure you'd elect him leader--"

"He stands a tall chance," I heard a fellow say.

"About as tall as Pee-wee," another fellow said.

He was trying to be smart.

"Maybe he'll have a tall chance, as tall as the Woolworth Building," I said; "you'd better keep still. I want to ask Mr. Ellsworth if I can say something--while I'm still Silver Fox leader, that's all."

"Surely you may, Roy," he said, kind of pleasant.

"Because there's one more thing I'm going to say for my patrol. I--I started that patrol and--"

Oh, gee, then I broke right down, not exactly crying, but you know, there was something in my throat and I just couldn't talk for a minute.

"Go on, Roy," Mr. Ellsworth said, and he was awfully nice, I have to admit that.

So I said how I started that patrol and did the best I could and always told the fellows to be loyal and how disgrace spills all over just like Mr. Ellsworth himself told us.

"Anyway, Mr. Ellsworth," I said, "I can't say it as good as I'd like to, because--you know--"

"Take your time, Roy," he said.

"Anyway, you remember how you spoke about the laws." I was holding tight to the Silver Fox standard and it kind of helped me to speak, and I guess pretty soon my voice didn't shake. "I know all the laws," I said, "and I think more about them than I do about stunts and adventures and things--"

"How about baseball?" a fellow said, but I didn't pay any attention to him, and Mr. Ellsworth frowned at him.

"And only to-night I looked at them," I said, "and I made marks next to two of them." Then I fumbled in my pocket and got out the Handbook, and I reminded myself of a lawyer. Anyway I could see Mr. Bennett smile at Mr. Ellsworth. "Gee, I wouldn't say anything against the laws, that's one sure thing," I said, "because they're all dandy laws, you can bet.

But maybe a fellow might not know which one to obey because he can't obey them all at once, can he?"